Alabama Football: Crimson Tide players moving up and down in NFL Mock Drafts

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A few former Alabama football players enhanced their status at the NFL Combine. Others came up a little short after having to skip some testing.

The NFL Combine was not ‘make or break’ for most former Alabama football players. The Combine is important but players have followup opportunities to showcase their physical skills.

Six of the 11 former Crimson Tiders invited to the Combine were not able to fully participate in field drills or testing. Quinnen Williams skipped the bench press due to a finger injury. Josh Jacobs skipped the physical drills and testing due to a groin injury. Saivion Smith opted out of the 40-yard dash. A wrist injury kept Deionte Thompson out of the Combine. Hamstring problems kept Mack Wilson and Christian Miller from taking part in most of the physical tests.

As always, there are so many Mock Drafts, it is difficult to identify a consensus on most players. After reviewing several post-Combine Mock Drafts, we can cautiously summarize where we think the 11 former Alabama football players now rate.

Improved Draft Status

  • Quinnen Williams – Quinnen was rated so high prior to the Combine, there was not much room to tick up. He impressed with his speed and also in interview sessions. He is almost assured of being a top five pick.
  • Josh Jacobs – Jacobs did not do any drills. Despite that, he is consistently projected as a first round pick.
  • Irv Smith Jr. – Irv was impressive in pass catching drills. He likely helped himself but not enough to be a first round selection.
  • Damien Harris – Damien’s numbers were a combination of good and very good. He was very good in the vertical and broad jump. He was also impressive in receiving drills. NFL teams will see him as a solid pick.

Holding Steady

  • Jonah Williams – The biggest buzz about Jonah during the Combine was about his arm length. He did not quite make the NFL standard for tackles. The deficiency is not expected to knock him out of the first round.
  • Ross Piersbacher – Ross will need his mental skills and leadership ability to separate himself from other offensive linemen. His Combine numbers probably had little impact.

Still to be Determined

  • Mack Wilson – Mack only did the vertical and broad jump. He remains a late first round or second round prospect. One rumor was at least one team came away unimpressed after his interview.
  • Isaiah Buggs – Isiah measured shorter than expected. That alone could hurt his Draft chances. His bench and forty numbers were not impressive.
  • Christian Miller – Christian only did the vertical and broad jump.
  • Saivion Smith  – Saivion did not run the twenty, forty or sixty. He expects to do them at the Alabama Football Pro Day. He will need good numbers to strengthen his Draft prospects.
  • Deionte Thompson – Thompson did no drills. He Draft prospects have slipped based on his late-season performance. Coming out early might not have been a good decision.

There is a long way to go until the Draft. The Alabama Football Pro Day is Mar. 19. Players will also have individual workouts with some teams.

Next. Ranking the Tide 2019 Position Groups. dark

Alabama football fans are always hoping for former players to set new, team NFL Draft records. At this point, matching the four first-round selections of the past two years seems possible.